Lighting fixture hangers



Sept. 11, 1956 R. M. RUNGE LIGHTING FIXTURE HANGERS Filed Feb. 16, 1953INVENTOR. 1967/4 /70 PflNG'! Arm/aw y LIGHTING FIXTURE HANGERS Richard-M. Runge, Meriden, Conn., assignor to The Miller Company, Meriden,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut- Application February 16, 1953',SerialNo. 336,987

3Claims. (Cl. 248-327) The present invention relates to lighting fixturehangers and is more particularly directed toward lighting fixturehangers suitable for adjusting the height of the Wireways of fluorescentlighting equipment.

It is customary to make fluorescent lighting equipment in unitsofrelatively long lengths and to mount these units below the ceiling bymeans of suitable spaced stems one or'more: of which may be used, tocarry wiring from the ceiling down into the wireway. Owing to unevennessof the ceiling and irregular length of the various parts, it is oftennecessary to effect vertical adjustment of a wireway to level it, or toadjust adjacent wireways when assembled end to end to form continuouswireways or continuous equipment whereby proper vertical alignment maybe had.

The present invention contemplates hanger means for mounting suchlighting fixtures in a manner in which it is possible to easily adjustthe height of the wireway so as to bring it even with the adjacentwireway, or make it level as desired. It is also an object of thepresent invention to provide such adjustable means which isinconspicuous, easily accessible for use after the fixture has beeninstalled, and one in which the wiring is completely protected insidethe lighting fixture at all times without any danger of injury to thewires.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the presentinvention, one embodiment in which the invention may take form, it beingunderstood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention ratherthan limiting the same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lighting fixture equipped with theimproved leveling means;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the stem of thelighting fixture with the adjustable mounting means;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the lighting fixtureillustrating the adjustment of the fixture vertically;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4--4 of Figure 3;and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of fitting.

In the drawings, a conventional lighting fixture canopy illustrated atand conventional outlet box at 11. The fluorescent lighting fixture unitis indicated generally at 12, this unit having the usual wireway 13,reflector 13' and carrying lamp sockets and lamps not shown. The wireway12 is supported by two pendent stems 14 and 15 which may be closetogether or near the ends of the fixture unit 12. One of these stems,for example stem 14, may be tubular and carry wiring while the otherstem 15 may be tubular or a rod as desired.

In the drawing, the stem 14 is shown as being supported from the outletbox by a rod or nipple 20, hickey 21 and conventional swivel joint 22into which the top end late t 2, of the stem 14 is threaded asindicated. The other stem 15 may be supported in any suitable fashion,for example by a bracket or strap 23, hickey or dummy 24- and swiveljoint 25. Withthis arrangement, the stems 14 and 15 hang pendent.

As shown in the drawings, both stems are threaded as indicated at 26, 26for a predetermined distance from the lower ends 27, 27. The lower endof the stemor rod'is preferably flared out as indicated in the drawingor the threads are mutilated in any suitable manner so that a nutthreaded 0n the stem cannot be removed. Before the mutilation of thethreads at the bottom of the tube or rod; a tubular fitting 28 having abare hole or passageway 28' of larger internal diameter than the outsideof the tube or rod, and the nut 29 is passed through a transverselyextending opening 29' threaded on the rod or tube. The fitting 23 is cutback so as to have lateral opening recesses 30, 30 and is cut away asindicated at 31' to receive a nut 29 and provide room so that theperiphery of the nutis available for manipulation to turn it on thethreads 26;

The lower ends of the fittings 28' are reduced and threaded as indicatedat 32 and are adapted to pass through holes 33- in the top, wall 34 ofthe wireway 12. Nuts 35 are adapted to be received on the threads 32 andsecure the fittings 28 to the top of the wireway;

In the installation of lighting equipment with the devices described,wiring such as W is passed down from the outlet box 11 through thehickey 21, swivel 22 and tube 14 and out through the bottom of this tubeinto the wireway. The wireway is supported by the nuts 35 on the lowerthreaded ends 32 of the fittings 28.

When one desires to raise or lower the wiring channel, it is merelynecessary to manipulate one or both of the nuts 29 to secure verticaladjustment of the wiring channel. When the wiring channel is in itsextreme lower position as indicated at the left of Figure 3, the fitting28 passes down outside the enlargement 27 until the nut 29 engages thisenlargement and prevents further lowering of the wireway or accidentalseparation of the parts. The wiring passes into the fixture asindicated.

When one desires to raise the wiring channel, it is merely necessary toturn the nut 29 in the proper direction to lift the fitting 28. Thiswill bring the bottom end 27 of the tube or rod closer to the bottom ofthe wireway and as threading 26 is of limited length, it is possible tomake certain that the bottom of the wireway, or reflector which usuallycloses it, is not brought against the wiring which passes out under theend of the tube. In this way the raising and lowering of the wireway canbe limited to an amount somewhat more than the vertical depth of thewireway and one can be certain that at all times the Wiring isadequately protected.

In the modified form shown in Figure 5, the fitting 40 is made from abent yoke 41 and a nipple 42. The space between the top of the yoke andthe head of the nipple provides room for the nut 29. The holes 41' inthe top of the yoke and 42' in the nipple provide passageways for thetube 14, and the threads 43 at the bottom of the nipple 42 accept thenut 35.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other formsand constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to beunderstood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, andvarious modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwiselimit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a lighting fixture having a horizontal wireway ofsubstantial vertical depth and provided with a conduit opening in thetop thereof, a tubular fitting secured to the top of the wireway andextending upwardly therefrom, the fitting having intermediate its ends alateral cutout and upwardly and downwardly facing shoulders, a

tubular stem of smaller diameter facing shoulders, a tubular stem ofsmaller diameter than the inner diameter of the fitting and having arunning thread along its lower end, and a traveling nut on the threadsand between the shulders, the lower end of the stem being multilated toprevent separation of the stem and nut, the length of the threading; onthe stem being such that when the nut is in its upper position the stemmay extend nearly to the bottom of the wireway, so that wiring extendingfrom the stem to the wireway is protected.

. 2. Alighting fixture support comprising a pendent rod having runningthreads near its lower end, a fitting having an oversize verticalpassageway therethrough to receive the rod, a horizontal, transverselyextending opening intermediatethe fitting ends and intersecting thepassageway to provide an upwardly and a downwardly facing internalshoulder about the passageway, and a nut disposed in the opening andthrough which the threaded rod extends, the upper and lower faces of thenut being adjacent the downwardly facing and upwardly facing internalshoulders respectively to prevent sliding the fitting along the rod, thenut being accessible through said transversely extending opening forturning the nut on the rod to effect vertical adjustment of the fittingalong the rod, the lower end of the fitting being tubular and having adownwardly facing shoulder and being of reduced diameter below the lastmentioned shoulder, and means on the reduced diameter portion forsecuring a lighting fixture body against the latter shoulder.

3. A lighting fixture support comprising a pendent rod having runningthreads near its lower end, a tubular fitting having an oversizevertical passageway therethrough to receive the rod, a horizontal,transversely extending opening intermediate the fitting ends andintersecting the passageway to provide an upwardly and a downwardlyfacing internal shoulder about the passageway, and a nut of lesseroutside diameter than the outside diameter of the tube disposed in theopening and through which the threaded rod extends, the upper and lowerfaces of the nut being adjacent the downwardly facing and upwardlyfacing internal shoulders respectively to prevent sliding the fittingalong the rod, the walls of the fitting at each end of the transverselyextending opening having cut out portions adjacent the upper and lowerfaces of the nut which reduce the thickness of said walls and providefinger receiving recesses into which the nut protrudes for manipulationto effect vertical adjustment of the fitting along the tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,147,284 Doane Feb. 14, 1939 2,456,997 Sachs Dec. 21, 1948 2,459,034Kruger Ian. 11, 1949 2,632,620 Hurley Mar. 24, 1953

